Police officers in Tharaka Nithi were forced to set up a roadblock after their colleague drove off in a police vehicle containing a dead body on Saturday, August 7.
Meshck Simiyu, a police constable attached to the Marimanti Police Post, took off with a police vehicle from the police post after the driver left the engine running during a brief stop at the police post.
Simuyu who was seated at the passenger seat with the OCS had earlier been rescued from mob justice in Materi centre.
The police officers were to drop the OCS at the police station and proceed to escort the body to Marimati Level Five Hospital.
On reaching the police station, the driver and the OCS alighted. The two, who went for a short call, left the engine running with Simuyu still in the vehicle.
"The driver also alighted and went for a short call leaving the engine running since it had covered many kilometres and left P.C Simiyu inside the vehicle who happened to drive away at a high speed heading to an unknown direction," a police statement read in part.
When they realised Simiyu had driven off with the vehicle, officers began trailing him using private vehicles.
They also set up an emergency roadblock to nab the run-away officer. Eventually, they caught up with the police constable at Ishiara Police station.
According to the recorded police statement, Simiyu was not in the right state of mind when he committed the act.
“The OCS Marimanti said the officer was of unsound mind. He was driven back and collected by Stapol Marimanti for further action,” the statement concluded.
Fortunately, no casualty was reported in relation to the incident.
